Morning sunlight bathed the mountain pass.
The wounded had been treated.
The dead were laid to rest.
Neither the caravan guards nor the former bandits celebrated their survival.
There was nothing to celebrate.
Lives had been lost.
Families would be waiting for loved ones who would never return.
Crystal had once said:
«"A battle won is not always a victory."»
As Kieran silently helped bury the fallen, he finally understood those words.
---
The scarred bandit leader approached him after the burial.
His injured shoulder had been tightly bandaged.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, the man bowed.
"My name is Gareth."
"I never thanked you."
Kieran shook his head.
"You protected your men."
"You don't need to thank me."
Gareth smiled bitterly.
"I became a thief because I wanted my people to survive."
"But somewhere along the way..."
"I forgot what kind of man I wanted to be."
His eyes drifted toward the fresh graves.
"I won't make that mistake again."
Kieran looked at him.
"What will you do now?"
Gareth let out a long breath.
"I don't know."
"But it won't be robbery."
Elena, who had been listening from nearby, stepped forward.
"The Wanderer's Guild has work rebuilding villages damaged by Magical Beasts."
"It won't make you rich."
"But it's honest."
Gareth stared at her in surprise.
"You'd trust us?"
"I trust actions."
She replied simply.
"What you become tomorrow is your choice."
For the first time in years...
Hope flickered in Gareth's eyes.
He bowed deeply.
"Then we'll earn that trust."
Kieran smiled quietly.
Sometimes...
A single chance was enough to change a life.
---
By late afternoon...
The caravan resumed its journey.
This time, several Guild escorts accompanied them.
Elena walked at the front, her silver spear resting across one shoulder.
The guards visibly relaxed.
Few dared attack a caravan protected by a Silver-ranked Wanderer.
---
Three days passed peacefully.
Along the way, Kieran experienced things he had only read about.
He crossed a stone bridge stretching over a roaring canyon.
He watched farmers use earth-element techniques to enrich their fields.
He saw wind-aspected craftsmen powering enormous grain mills.
At one village, children laughed as a gentle water practitioner filled every irrigation channel with a wave of her hand.
Melika wasn't only a realm of cultivators and warriors.
It was a realm where Magna shaped everyday life.
Crystal had been right.
Power existed to serve life.
Not the other way around.
---
On the fourth morning...
The forest finally gave way to open plains.
Far ahead...
Towering walls rose against the horizon.
Kieran unconsciously slowed his steps.
"...A city."
Roland chuckled.
"Not just any city."
"Welcome..."
"...to Ardent Crossing."
---
The city walls stood nearly forty meters high.
Countless banners fluttered proudly from their towers.
Massive gates remained open as an endless stream of merchants, adventurers, travelers, and cultivators entered and departed.
Above the main gate, carved into polished black stone, were the words:
Ardent Crossing
Where Every Road Meets Opportunity
Kieran couldn't hide his amazement.
"So many people..."
Kael's voice seemed to echo in his memory.
«"Don't stare too much."»
«"People will know you're a country boy."»
Kieran immediately looked away.
Roland couldn't help laughing.
"Your teacher gave good advice."
Kieran smiled sheepishly.
---
As the caravan entered the city...
His senses were overwhelmed.
Wide stone streets.
Shops lined in neat rows.
Blacksmiths hammering glowing steel.
Alchemists displaying colorful potions.
Restaurants filled with laughter.
Street performers entertaining crowds.
Guild messengers darting through the bustling avenues.
Above everything...
The sounds of thousands of lives intertwined into one vibrant rhythm.
For the first time...
Kieran truly understood how small the Hidden Valley had been.
---
Elena led the caravan toward the Merchant Consortium headquarters.
Before leaving, she approached Kieran.
"You handled yourself well."
He bowed politely.
"I still have much to learn."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Good."
"The moment a cultivator thinks they've learned enough..."
"They stop growing."
She reached into a small pouch and handed him a bronze badge.
It bore the emblem of the Wanderer's Guild.
"What is this?"
"A Traveler's Token."
She explained.
"It isn't a Guild rank."
"But any Guild branch in Gardenia will recognize it."
"If you're ever in trouble..."
"Show them this."
"They'll know you once assisted a Guild escort."
Kieran accepted it with both hands.
"Thank you."
Elena nodded once before walking away.
---
Roland soon joined him.
"Our paths separate here."
He handed Kieran a small leather pouch.
Kieran immediately tried to refuse.
"I can't accept—"
"You can."
Roland interrupted gently.
"It's not payment."
"It's gratitude."
Inside the pouch...
Were ten Silver Mel Coins.
Enough for several weeks of modest travel.
Kieran hesitated.
Then remembered another of Crystal's lessons.
«"Refusing sincere gratitude can wound the giver just as much as refusing sincere help."»
He bowed deeply.
"I'll use it wisely."
"I know you will."
---
Just then...
Lila came running toward him.
She hugged him tightly.
"When you become famous..."
"Come visit me!"
Kieran laughed softly.
"I will."
She held up Snowball proudly.
"And don't forget him!"
"I won't."
---
As the caravan disappeared into the busy streets...
Kieran found himself standing alone once more.
Around him...
The great city of Ardent Crossing continued its endless bustle.
He adjusted the strap of his travel pack.
Looked toward the distant western road.
Somewhere beyond countless cities, forests, mountains, and rivers...
The Grand Academy awaited.
His journey was far from over.
In truth...
It had only just begun.
High atop a nearby rooftop...
A pair of golden eyes silently watched him.
The Nine-Tailed White Fox had arrived in the city as well.
For the first time...
It looked almost amused.
The wilderness had been simple.
But a human city?
That...
Would be far more entertaining.
End of Chapter 55